Monday, October 11, 2010

Another Harper "Enemy" Feels His Wrath: StatsCan

Another group that has been added to Stephen Harper's "enemy" list in his war on facts, StatsCanada, is facing a substantial decrease in their budget, for challenging Harper's misguided decision to scrap the mandatory long-form census.This is not good for the future of our country.

Statistics Canada, already reeling from the long-form census debacle, is chopping at least five surveys after being ordered to find $7 million in savings. The beleaguered agency plans to drop a pair of environmental surveys, a health report and two sets of business statistics, along with other measures to meet budgetary demands from the Conservative government.

"If we keep going down this path ... we are at serious risk of eroding the quality of our statistics to unacceptable levels," Munir Sheikh, then chief statistician, warned in a May 31 letter to Treasury Board weeks before he quit his post over the long-form census controversy. "Our collections systems are becoming outdated, we have less than optimal levels of automation of our processes and we suffer from a lack of proper documentation that can be risky."

Cuts their funding, but is still going through with corporate tax cuts, prisons for imaginary prisoners and useless fighter jets. Seven million after promising 200 million to a professional hockey team becasue it's owned by his Fox News North buddy.